Makah Lane and Juan Gutierrez power to victory
MAKAH LANE CAPS JUAN FOUR-BAGGER ON OPENING DAY
AUBURN, Wash. (June 24, 2020) – Juan Gutierrez was in mid-season form as Emerald Downs launched its 25th season of live racing Wednesday.
Taking dead aim at Gallyn Mitchell’s all-time track record for most wins, Gutierrez rode four winners on the 10-race card capped by a five-length victory on a razor-sharp Makah Lane in the featured $13,600 Muckleshoot Casino Purse for 3-year-olds and up.
Gutierrez, 50, is a 2018 Washington Racing Hall of Fame inductee and appears poised to notch another major milestone in 2020. With four victories Wednesday, Gutierrez boosted his Emerald Downs’ win total to 1,377, and is just 42 wins away from Mitchell’s mark of 1,419.
Gutierrez scored a natural hat trick with wins aboard Vroysky ($7.20), Benny the Jet ($45) and Freestone ($4.80) in races two, three and four, and finished off the four-bagger aboard Makah Lane ($7.60) in the ninth.
Winner of last year’s Washington Cup Sophomore Stakes, Makah Lane tipped his hand as an up and comer in the older horse ranks. Stalking This Great Nation and Wine At Nine through fractions of :22 1/5 and :45.08, Makah Lane advanced three deep into the stretch, powered to the lead a furlong from the wire and won with total authority.
A four-year-old Washington-bred gelding by Atta Boy Roy, Makah Lane has won three of his last five starts and boasts an overall mark of 3-1-0 in seven starts with earnings of $51,143. Bonnie Jenne is trainer and co-owner with husband Wally Jenne and Doug and Nancy McPhee.
Mutuel handle on the 10-race card totaled $1,654,173.
NOTES: Valid Prince ($13.20) and defending riding champion Gary Wales prevailed in the 2020 opener for owner/trainer Michael Bullene, covering 5 ½ furlongs in 1:05.57. . .The top three winningest trainers in track history all notched wins Wednesday—Frank Lucarelli scoring win No. 1,026 with O’s So Serious ($4.20), Tim McCanna getting No. 939 with Abraa Jabraa ($11.40) and Howard Belvoir notching No. 771 in with Miso Fast ($9). . .With the win on Miso Fast, Jennifer Whitaker moved eight wins away from becoming the first woman rider with 500 wins at Emerald Downs. . . Atta Boy Roy was the winning sire of two winners Wednesday—Makah Lane and So Figure It Out ($11). . . Abraaj also sired two Wednesday winners—Abraa Jabraa and Miso Fast. . .Live racing continues Thursday with a 10-race card at 5 p.m.
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